WWF-Canada remembers Michael de Pencier — a force of and for nature

WWF-Canada is mourning the passing of Michael de Pencier, former chair of the board, dedicated WWF-Canada supporter and a passionate environmentalist.  

De Pencier was a force to be reckoned with, equipped with an “irrepressible fountain of ideas” according to his long-time friend and WWF-Canada’s president emeritus, Monte Hummel. As a businessman, his humble leadership style helped transform the Canadian publishing industry through acclaimed magazines such as Toronto Life and Canadian Geographic. 

In 2000, de Pencier helped promote the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification in Canada, a system for verifying that products such as paper are sourced from responsibly managed forests and meet high environmental and social standards. Many of his own publications were printed on FSC certified paper and he advocated for others to do the same. 

As an environmentalist, de Pencier brought the same relentless energy.  He co-founded InvestEco Capital, the first Canadian investment management firm focused exclusively on sustainability. He raised millions of dollars for various non-profit initiatives, including WWF-Canada, which he supported for more than four decades, joining the board of directors in 1997 and serving until 2007. He was board chair for three years. 

WWF-Canada honored de Pencier as a Leader for Conservation in 2013, an award that recognized him as someone who helped transform the organization through an investment of talent, wisdom and effort. His influence transcended generations, as evidenced by his granddaughter, Jasmine de Pencier, who co-founded WWF-Canada’s Kids’ Run for Nature in 2015 at only 10 years old. 

“Michael was a sweet man who walked the talk. He loved trees and he himself planted over 100 different species of trees and shrubs in his farm. He was a loyal friend who had your back, a gentle and kind soul who was never critical, and he never made you feel that he was superior,” Monte Hummel, who was WWF-Canada’s President and CEO when Michael de Pencier acted as chair of the board, said. “He was a serial entrepreneur and a wellspring of exhausting ideas, a number of which were real gems and are still with us today. Michael was a very successful businessman and with his wealth, he accepted the responsibility of giving back and being exceptionally generous with his pocketbook and his time. He has a tremendous legacy. He showed up and did all the things that he did, not for social status, but because he believed in whatever the cause he was there for.” 

“Michael de Pencier was a giant among Canadian conservationists and environmentalists. I knew him for over 25 years and never ceased to marvel at his passion, his innovative mind and his boundless energy. Among his many other accomplishments, Michael was an early and very strong advocate for the critical role that business can play to combat climate change and to preserve biodiversity. Green living, renewable energy, climate and nature-positive investment, and sustainable use of natural resources, are well-developed concepts today that owe much of their impetus in Canada to Michael,” Patricia Koval, former chair of the board of WWF-Canada and, along with Alan Koval, foundational donors to the Arctic Species Conservation Fund, said. “On a personal note, Michael was also a dedicated mentor to many like-minded people. He contributed immensely to WWF-Canada, both during his time on the board and beyond.  I will always value the unwavering support he gave me when I served as board chair of WWF-Canada and in subsequent projects.”  

“We are deeply saddened with Michael’s passing — and so thankful for his meaningful contributions. Michael was a very proud member of the WWF family. He would go through his archives and send me old pamphlets and newspaper articles about WWF. I have a whole folder of them! He was really engaged with the organization — always involved and kept in touch,” Megan Leslie, president and CEO of WWF-Canada, said. “I can’t even put into words all the ways he was connected to us. He would often call to say that there’s a new group doing this and that or that there’s an environmental film screening happening, and we should invite our staff and supporters to watch. Michael made us feel like we were never far from his thoughts. It was great to have an ally like him who was always on the lookout for opportunities for us.”